1 Peter 4
Pause:
Before you start reading this devotional, take a moment to stop what you’re doing, slow down and focus on Jesus.
Pray and ask him to open your eyes to see as you read the scriptures, and to open your ears to hear as you wait on the leading of the Spirit.
Read:
1 Peter 4: “Therefore, since Christ suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same understanding — because the one who suffers in the flesh is finished with sin — in order to live the remaining time in the flesh no longer for human desires, but for God’s will. For there has already been enough time spent in doing what the Gentiles choose to do: carrying on in unrestrained behavior, evil desires, drunkenness, orgies, carousing, and lawless idolatry. They are surprised that you don’t join them in the same flood of wild living — and they slander you. They will give an account to the one who stands ready to judge the living and the dead. For this reason the gospel was also preached to those who are now dead, so that, although they might be judged in the flesh according to human standards, they might live in the spirit according to God’s standards.
The end of all things is near; therefore, be alert and sober-minded for prayer. Above all, maintain constant love for one another, since love covers a multitude of sins. Be hospitable to one another without complaining. Just as each one has received a gift, use it to serve others, as good stewards of the varied grace of God. If anyone speaks, let it be as one who speaks God’s words; if anyone serves, let it be from the strength God provides, so that God may be glorified through Jesus Christ in everything. To him be the glory and the power forever and ever. Amen.
Dear friends, don’t be surprised when the fiery ordeal comes among you to test you, as if something unusual were happening to you. Instead, rejoice as you share in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may also rejoice with great joy when his glory is revealed. If you are ridiculed for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you.
Let none of you suffer as a murderer, a thief, an evildoer, or a meddler. But if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed but let him glorify God in having that name. For the time has come for judgment to begin with God’s household, and if it begins with us, what will the outcome be for those who disobey the gospel of God?”
And if a righteous person is saved with difficulty,
what will become of the ungodly and the sinner?
So then, let those who suffer according to God’s will entrust themselves to a faithful Creator while doing what is good.”
Going Deeper:
It feels like the “end of the world” movie genre really picked up steam over the last couple decades. One film in that genre that probably comes to mind for almost no one is called “Deep Impact,” which was about a huge asteroid hurtling towards earth threatening to wipe out our planet. While the movie isn’t exactly what you’d call “fresh” on Rotten Tomatoes, watching it did put me in a good frame of mind to consider what Peter was saying in his powerful letter.
How so? In the movie, mankind faced the end of all things. The closer to the end it got, the less people emphasized things like accumulating stuff and protecting their image. For as much heart and mind space as those things filled before, they just didn’t matter when the end was near. Instead, the main characters sought to reconcile relationships that were in disrepair and fought to give those they loved a chance to live, even if they didn’t make it. What’s my point? With the end in sight, priorities become clear.
Living with the end in mind provides wonderful clarity. “The end of all things is near” as Peter says. What should our priorities be if we want to prepare well for what’s coming? Peter outlines four responses to help Christians live fruitfully in the end times. Let’s look at each…
1: PRAYER “Be alert and sober-minded for prayer.”
If we grasp how important our actions and attitudes are in light of eternity, then we’ll pray regularly. Things like drift, distraction, division, disdain, and discouragement remind us it’s time to pray. Thankfully, you belong to a body of believers, so you don’t have to pray alone. You can ask others to pray with or for you. Talk to Him daily, listen, write down anything you sense Him saying, and share it with others if He asks you to. If we grasp how weak and needy we are as disciples, not to mention how loved we are that the King of the Universe wants to engage with and through us, we’ll pray.
2: HOSPITALITY “Be hospitable to one another without complaining.”
Peter exhorts us to give time and attention to others. I love that he felt the need to add “without complaining,” as though he could see each of us dealing with that person in our community. We often forget that there are no deserving people in the Kingdom, just a King who loves to welcome outcasts and misfits. The people we complain about are a gift, in that they help us understand what we really believe about grace. If we get how Jesus has welcomed us, then we’ll welcome others without complaining about how they treat us, frustrate our plans, don’t appreciate us, or whatever the case may be.
3: LOVE “Above all, maintain constant love for one another, since love covers a multitude of sins.”
I remember once seeing my brother Gus run the third leg of a 4 x 400 relay race. His team lagged well behind after the first two runners when he grabbed the baton. He took off like a rocket and the crowd cheered as he closed the gap and handed off the baton in first. He covered his teammates so their shortcomings weren’t exposed and they won.
Similarly, we’re running a race. Sometimes, our teammates will run in a way that causes them to fall behind. We’d do well to cover them so they’re not exposed and so we can continue to race together. If we marvel at how Christ has covered our sin, then we’ll increasingly want to do so for one another. We can celebrate that kind of love.
4: SERVICE “Just as each one has received a gift, use it to serve others, as good stewards of the varied grace of God.”
We’ve been graced with gifts to love others and bring glory to Jesus. A question that really challenged me in this area was: “Do we truly love the people for whom we are using our gift? Or are we simply enjoying ourselves and using others to do so?” Our hearts are fickle and these questions can serve as a helpful course correction for us.
I was also challenged with the thought that “each person must be himself or herself in the use of the gifts God has given them.” While I want to learn everything I can from others I also must remember that I’m not them. If I sound like a copy of someone else then I might be missing out on the unique gift that was given to me.
Prayer, hospitality, love, and service. These are wonderful and fruitful ways to prepare for the end of all things. Which of these is the Spirit highlighting to you to grow in today? What might He be calling you to do?
Pray:
Respond to God in prayer by speaking to Him about what stood out to you from this passage this morning.
Listen:
What is the Holy Spirit saying to you this morning?
Apply:
What are you going to do in response to what God is saying to you from the text and by the Spirit?